Ethics, Malpractice & Policies Statement
Civil and Geoengineering Letters upholds the highest standards of academic ethics, operational integrity, and publication quality. This statement articulates the journal’s principles regarding ethical conduct, malpractice prevention, and policy enforcement, aligned with international best practices—including those promoted by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and recognised scholarly publishing guidelines.
1. Ethical Foundations & Core Obligations
Ethical Oversight and Governance: The journal’s ethical framework is grounded in COPE’s Code of Conduct and best-practice recommendations [link]. Editorial actions are governed by professional judgment, free of personal bias or external interference, ensuring decisions reflect scientific merit and research integrity.
Editorial Autonomy & Corrective Mechanisms: Editors maintain full authority over manuscript decisions. Confidentiality throughout the review process is guaranteed, and reviewers’ anonymity protected. In cases of errors, misconduct, or new information, the journal commits to issuing corrections, clarifications, or retractions transparently and promptly.
2. Responsibilities Across Stakeholders
Authors: Authors must submit entirely original content not under review elsewhere, cite sources accurately, and declare any conflicts of interest. All elements of the manuscript (including data, figures, and text) must be properly credited and ethically sourced.
Editors & Reviewers: Editors ensure a fair, double-blind peer-review process and act impartially. Both editors and reviewers are required to disclose any conflicts of interest. Suspected ethical breaches trigger formal investigation and appropriate corrective actions, in line with COPE flowcharts [link].
Publisher: The publisher supports editorial independence, protects the integrity of the academic record, and facilitates long-term preservation and accessibility. Allegations of misconduct are investigated rigorously, with outcomes handled with full transparency.
3. Policy on Malpractice and Misconduct
The following behaviours are categorically prohibited and invoke strong disciplinary action:
- Plagiarism, including self-plagiarism and improper reuse of previously published materials.
- Fabrication, falsification, or manipulation of data.
- Simultaneous or duplicate submission to multiple journals.
- Unethical authorship practices, including honorary, ghost, or anonymous authorship.
Adherence to COPE guidelines ensures consistent, fair, and transparent handling of all issues related to publication malpractice. More info: COPE.
4. Transparency and Ethical Alignment
All contributors are expected to uphold this policy. The journal’s operations conform to the Principles of Transparency and Best Practice in Scholarly Publishing.
5. Confidentiality and Privacy
All submissions are treated with strict confidentiality throughout the editorial and peer-review process. Personal data are protected and used exclusively for journal operations, in compliance with international privacy standards.
6. Ownership and Management
Civil and Geoengineering Letters is owned, managed, and published by the Editorial Office. Editorial and peer-review processes operate with full autonomy to safeguard independence and integrity in decision-making.
7. Copyright and Licensing
Authors retain copyright of their work. Articles are published under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license.
8. Open Access Policy
The journal adopts a Gold Open Access model. All articles are freely and immediately available online without subscription or barriers.
9. Publication Ethics
Civil and Geoengineering Letters adheres to COPE guidelines. All stakeholders share responsibility for ensuring ethical, transparent publishing practices.
10. Relations with Authors, Reviewers, and Editorial Board Members
- With Authors: Transparent submission and review procedures, fair treatment, and recognition of contributions.
- With Reviewers: Reviewers are essential contributors, supported with guidelines, and acknowledged for their role.
- With Editorial Board Members: Board members guide the journal’s scope, policies, and standards, and are actively consulted.
11. Quality Assurance
The journal implements rigorous double-blind peer review, plagiarism checks, and continuous monitoring to ensure reliability and quality.
12. Protecting Individual Data
Data of authors, reviewers, and readers are confidential and used solely for editorial purposes. Compliance with international privacy regulations (e.g., GDPR) is ensured.
13. Dealing with Possible Misconduct
Allegations of misconduct are handled under COPE guidelines. Actions include rejection, retraction, corrections, and restrictions on future submissions.
14. Intellectual Property
Works are published under CC BY 4.0. Proper attribution is required for reuse or redistribution.
15. Commercial Considerations
Editorial decisions are independent of commercial influence. Financial support or partnerships are transparently disclosed.
16. Conflicts of Interest
All participants must disclose conflicts of interest. Undisclosed conflicts may result in editorial action, including retraction or corrections.
17. Artificial Intelligence (AI) – Responsible Use Policy
- Authors: AI tools may support research/writing but cannot replace originality. All uses must be transparently disclosed. AI cannot be credited as authors.
- Reviewers: Reviewers may use AI only for grammar or similarity checks, not for forming conclusions.
- Editors and Staff: AI may assist workflow, but final decisions are made by human experts.
Failure to disclose AI use may be considered a breach of publication ethics. This policy aligns with the COPE position statement on the ethical use of AI in scholarly publishing (2023) .